Eastern Division Wins in Home Run Derby Shootout

Sea Dogs' Shortstop Marco Hernandez Named MiLB Top Star 

Portland, Maine - The 2015 Sullivan Tire Eastern League All-Star Classic finished in unprecedented fashion on Wednesday night in front of a capacity crowd at Hadlock Field, with the Eastern Division beating the Western Division in a Home Run Derby Shootout after the game remained tied 4-4 after nine innings of play.

Brian Pointer of the Reading Fightin Phis hit the game-winning home run in the shootout to give the East a victory in a game that officially ended as a 4-4 tie with no winning or losing pitcher.  The Home Run Derby Shootout was implemented by the Eastern League to prevent All-Star Games from going into extra innings.

Marco Hernandez was named the game's MiLB.com Top Star after finishing 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored.  Hernandez is the second Sea Dog ever to win the Top Star award, joining Todd Dunwoody (1996).

The East took the early lead in the bottom of the first when Sea Dogs' third baseman Jantzen Witte grounded into a double play, but fellow Sea Dogs' infielder Marco Hernandez scored to make it 1-0.  The East added to their lead in the second on a sac fly by Jake Cave to score Brandon Nimmo, followed by a single from Dwight Smith, Jr. and a two-run homer from Marco Hernandez off of Jason Creasy to make it 4-0.

The West got a run back in the third on an RBI groundout by Rando Moreno off of Shane Carle to score Todd Hankins.  The score held 4-1 until the seventh inning, when Pedro Severino singled off of Austin House, then Wynton Bernard tripled to cut the East lead to 4-2.  After Anthony Gallas singled to make it a one-run game, Austin House walked three in a row, culminating in a bases-loaded walk from Josh Bell to tie the game.

Sea Dogs' reliever Robby Scott would then enter the game with the bases loaded and two out and induced a grounder from Ricky Oropesa to end the inning.  The game would remain tied 4-4 after nine to send the game to the shootout.

Pointer, Brock Stassi, and KC Hobson competed for the East against Ricky Oropesa, Dean Green, and Dan Gamache - who won the Home Run Derby prior to the game - for the West.  All six players rotated one swing until Pointer hit one into the U.S. Cellular Pavilion on the 22nd swing (ninth round) of the shootout to end the game.

The Sea Dogs begin a four-game series in New Hampshire against the Fisher Cats tomorrow; first pitch comes at 7:00 PM.  Justin Haley (3-10, 5.45) is scheduled to start for Portland against Casey Lawrence (8-8, 4.86).  Pregame coverage begins on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Network at 6:40 PM.